Reality NFL 2008

[caja-dglh]

Reality NFL 2008

Inca - I took a guess it was something Manning related (I should have seen it was Chargers & Manning related too).

I agree the nice boy adverts everywhere side of Peyton is really annoying, but he is significantly less annoying than Tom Brady.

I would really like to see the Steelers do well out of this, but that is simply down to having the best player in the NFL this year (in my humble opinion).

[Incandenza]

Reality NFL 2008

You've got it.

The NFC East is held up as the best division in the league, and at the start of the season, a lot of people were talking about both NFC wild cards coming from that division. And indeed, the Eagles got one, even though they were 2-4 in the division (the Giants were 4-2; the Redskins and the Cowboys each 3-3). Giants were 12-4, Eagles 9-6-1, the Cowboys 9-7, and the Redskins 8-8.

The NFC South was stronger, I think: the Panthers were 12-4 (4-2 division), the Falcons 11-5 (3-3), Bucs 9-7 (3-3), and the Saints 8-8 (2-4). The Bucs really fell apart at the end, though.

[Incandenza]

Reality NFL 2008

dglh wrote:

Inca - I took a guess it was something Manning related (I should have seen it was Chargers & Manning related too).

I don't actually like the Chargers that much. I root for them more out of geographic default more than anything. I find Philip Rivers annoying. Plus, San Diego fans aren't very welcoming to LA-area people because of the Raiders association. But oh well.

I agree the nice boy adverts everywhere side of Peyton is really annoying, but he is significantly less annoying than Tom Brady.

Absolutely. At least Peyton has a personality.

I would really like to see the Steelers do well out of this, but that is simply down to having the best player in the NFL this year (in my humble opinion).

Harrison? I'd love to see a defensive player win it, but I think it's probably going to go to Peyton, because of the Colts' streak.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Reality NFL 2008

Why don't they "split" the league tables, so that you still have your 4 divisional champions going through (based simply on their W-L records from those 6 games) and then 2 wildcards chosen simply from a table made up of the W-L record of all teams from the other 10 matches every team faces? It does seem inequitable that a team can - in theory - "win" its division with a 2-4 record in that division, while a team with a 4-2 record doesn't, because of games against "the rest".

Would that be too difficult for fans to follow?

[caja-dglh]

Reality NFL 2008

I was actually thinking Troy Polamalu, who has been making insane interceptions and solid play all year (but, yes, I agree with the defensive player and Harrison has been good).

Nice little dig at the end there Rogin. I doubt they will ever change the NFL structure - it brings through the best of the quality available.

Otherwise you would end up with the problem of some really understrength teams coming through to the Superbowl because their conference got weak and they got a break in the game to get there.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Reality NFL 2008

Otherwise you would end up with the problem of some really understrength teams coming through to the Superbowl because their conference got weak and they got a break in the game to get there.

Wasn't that the case with the Broncos and the Bills from about 1985 to about 1995? What did they do to make the AFC rise again?

[Incandenza]

Reality NFL 2008

Those early 90s Bills teams were very good.

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

E-A-G-L-E-S-THANKYOU!!!

I'm so pissed I wasn't listening to Meryl Reese on WYSP for the two fumble recoveries, but I'd love to get a tape of that game. It must be hilarious. Going into one commerical break, he said "The Philadelphia Eagles 44. Some people wearing Dallas Cowboy uniforms 3."

Two weeks in a row, and two glorious games: the Panthers-Giants from last week and this absolute demolition unseen since the Lions destroyed Dallas in '92.

Romo looked like he walked in on TO, Bill Parcells, Witten, and Jerry Jones gangbanging Jessica. Jerry Jones looked like someone took a shit on the Star on the 50 yard line. Wade Phillips looked like he just got busted on Dateline NBC for attempting to solicit sex from a 12-year-old on the internet. The Cowboys looked like they were playing without any pants on in -23 degree weather.

For the Eagles to need the Buccaneers to lose to 4-11 Oakland, then for the Bears to lose to the 5-10 Texans...and have it happen...I'm not going to want the Giants to face them again.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Rogin - The AFC was actually quite dominant in the 70s, but your idea was indeed getting tossed around during the 13-year NFC streak from 1983-1997. All in all, the AFC has won 19, and the NFC has won 22. I guess they figure everyone only remembers the winners.

The AFC just learned to run the ball.
---------------------------------------------------------------

[Dynamo Kev]

Reality NFL 2008

Me thinks you may regret those 'thank yous' in two weeks time, Mr Voorhees..
I turned off the Tampa game after they went up by 10, then turned it back on, touchdown touchdown- it was surreal..
Gruden said he would love to coach in Philly "..because if you win there, they'll build a statue in your honor".. He might get his statue without coming here.
Tampa and Philly have this weird rivalry building- first it was some NHL stuff years ago, then the NFC Champ game of 03?, then the World Series..

[anothergoal]

Reality NFL 2008

Rogin, the AFC had some good teams in the 1980s and the early 1990s, they couldn't get past the hump. For example, you've got Miami Dolphins in 1985, defeated probably the greatest team ever in the Chicago Bears. You've also got the Buffalo Bills who made four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s and the Denver Broncos who made 3 out of 4 appearances in the late 1980s. However, the NFC teams were just better. The AFC had a couple chances to win in those years (Scott Norwood's missed field goal for the Buffalo Bills against the New York Giants in Super Bowl 25 and Joe Montana's winning touchdown drive in Super Bowl 23 which included a dropped interception attempt come to mind.). Although, as jason stated, the 1970s and the current century were a heck a lot better for the AFC.

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

I'll see how my predictions from September 9th panned out:

NFC

NFC East
Giants - Really good. Really friggin' good.
Eagles - Really good. Really good, after coming back from the dead.
Cowboys - Really friggin' good. Really friggin' good, until they really sucked.
Redskins - Suck. Suck. But after they were good for a few weeks.

NFC South
Saints - Pretty good. Mediocre. And annoying.
Bucs - Pretty good. Okay.
Panthers - Pretty good. Really, really good.
Falcons - Uh, are they actually good ? Yes. Pretty good.

NFC North
Packers - Really good. Really medicore.
Vikings - Pretty good. Good. But they ain't pretty.
Bears - Pretty good. Mediocre.
Lions - Suck. Hmmmm. Is there actually a word for this historical magnitude ? I'll just say Detroit Lions.

NFC West
Cards - Suck moosecock. Suck, but some good days.
Niners - Suck major horsecock. Dead-on prediction.
Rams - Suck major elephantcock. Dead-on prediction.
Seahawks - Suck major whalecock. Dead-on prediction.

AFC
AFC East
Jets - Pretty good Pretty good for a few weeks, until doing a Mets impression.
Pats - Were Astonishingly good, now pretty good. Pretty good, and the first 11-5 team to miss the playoffs in quite some time.
Dolphins - Suck lollipops. Really good. Completely wrong.
Bills - Good. For the first 6 weeks. Then Mediocre.

AFC South
Titans - Mediocre. WOW. Talk about being wrong.
Jags - Pretty good.WRONG. Completely suck.
Texans - Suck Steercock. Suck.
Colts - Pretty good. Pretty good.

AFC North
Ravens - Suck. Completely Wrong. Really good.
Steelers - Really good. Really good.
Browns - Suck. Dead-on.
Bengals - Suck Bengalcock. Dead-on.

AFC West
Raiders - Up and coming, but suck. Dead-on
Broncos - Up and coming, but suck.Dead-on.
Chiefs - Up and coming, but suck.Not dead-on, but close.
Chargers - Pretty good. Eh, medicore-to-good, but may win the f'n StuporBowl against the Eagles.

[Femme Folle]

Reality NFL 2008

I have one word for Mangenius: KARMA

Exhibit A: Caused the whole Pats "cheating" incident, which tarnished the name of my beloved team.

Exhibit B: Kicked Pennington to the kerb in favor of an old has-been.

My predictions: Miami wins the Super Bowl. I don't care who else is in there.

[Nurse Duckett]

Reality NFL 2008

Incandenza wrote:

Which I proudly admit. I don't have anything against Peyton himself--it's the treatment he gets as the "nice" quarterback that gets all the publicity and endorsements, the blindingly white positive example held up as something everyone should aspire to...

Have you seen this?

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2007/6/peyton-manning-is-a-good-coach-305109.html

After watching this, I can almost forgive him for the insane dancing around and gesturing at the line of scrimmage, and the fact that no matter how far you're ahead and how little time is left, you can never rule out the Colts.

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

Arizona 27:24 ATL
Minnesota 24:27 Illadelph

San Diego 24:27 Indy
B-More 24:27 MI-YAYO

[S. aureus]

Reality NFL 2008

Arizona 17 - 27 Atlanta
Minnesota 13 - 28 Philly
SD 20 - 21 Indy
Baltimore 24 -3 Miami

I've only seen Miami play twice this year, both times they've looked awful, and against poor opposition at that, yet somehow won. What the hell is going on with that team?

[Incandenza]

Reality NFL 2008

Atlanta 24 - 31 Arizona
Philly 13 - 21 Minnesota
Indy 34 - 31 San Diego
Mee-am-ee 12 - 17 Bodymore

[Incandenza]

Reality NFL 2008

Manning wins MVP in a landslide. Can't believe that James Harrison didn't get one vote.

[Incandenza]

Reality NFL 2008

I was pretty damn close with my ATL-ARI pick.

All (three) of us have been right on the lines so far (ARI -2, IND -2). Tomorrow it's BAL -3.5 and PHI -3.

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

Watching this Miami-Baltimore game, you just have the feeling that all 4 home underdogs are going to win. All 3 home crowds so far have been quite hot, as if they were all personally affronted as lame-ass warm-weather fair-weather sit-on-their-hands fans (which they are, of course, but it's nice to see a fire lit under all of their warm-weather fair-weather sit-on-their-hands asses.)

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

Just saw the Williams v Mannings commercial. Yes, I laughed at the "It's on like Donkey Kong" line.

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

And Miami will not win today. It's like Marlo Stansfield vs Bodie.

[Incandenza]

Reality NFL 2008

I love Ed Reed. As you know, I don't really have any team affiliation; there are certain players that I like. I probably wouldn't wear an NFL jersey in a million years, but if I did, it would probably be an Ed Reed jersey (or Julius Peppers, or Maurice Jones-Drew).

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

The weird thing is how he was always lurking in the shadows of Ray Lewis, and seemingly all of a sudden has taken to an unholy level like Belichek and Parcells - or if Dear Old Watson was actually the brains behind Sherlock Holmes.

[Reed John]

Reality NFL 2008

I think the NFL should change the playoff rules such that the team with a better record always gets to host, regardless of who wins a division. It's just wrong that 8-8 San Diego, winner of a crap division, was at home to 12-4 Indianapolis, runner-up in a much better division. Likewise, Atlanta should have hosted Arizona and Baltimore should have hosted Miami. They're both 11-5 but Baltimore won head to head.

[jason voorhees]

Reality NFL 2008

I like the system just the way it is. It's like the electoral vote of sports (not that I'm an electoral vote fan, but at least it keeps people living in the hinterlands.)

Here we had a major game in the West, Chargers v Broncos, on the last game of the season. The Pats got left out at 11-5, Indy had to travel, and no one's going to remember this on February 2nd, 2009.